TROUBLESOME WORDS
It was a week after Sylvia's visit to the Hayes plantation before Flora
returned to school. A heavy rain had made the roads nearly impassable,
and a little scar on Flora's forehead reminded Sylvia and Grace of her
unlucky tumble. On Flora's first appearance at school Sylvia was
confident that she would at once confess her part in "Lady Caroline's"
appearance, and at recess she and Grace were eager to walk with Flora.
It was now the first of November, but the air was warm and the garden
had many blossoming plants and shrubs.
Flora said that she was glad to be back at school. She told the girls
that her father had returned from a northern trip and that he had given
Dinkie and her children to Philip.
"Phil teased him so that Father was tired of hearing him. He said Phil
was a regular abolitionist," Flora explained with her pretty smile.
"What's an abbylitionzist?" asked Grace.
"Ask Sylvia. I heard my father say that Sylvia's father was one,"
answered Flora.
"I don't know. But my father is a Congregationalist," replied Sylvia.
"Perhaps that's what your father meant."
"No, it's something about not believing in having slaves, I know that
much," said Flora.
"Who would do our work then?" questioned Grace.
Flora could not answer this question. Sylvia resolved to ask Miss
Rosalie at question time the meaning of this new word. If her father
and Philip Hayes were "abolitionists," she was quite sure the word
meant something very brave and fine.
"What about Miss Flora and her ghost now?" Grace found a chance to
whisper, as they entered the schoolroom. "She doesn't mean to own up."
"Wait, she will," was Sylvia's response as she took her seat.
When question time came Sylvia was ready. She stood up smiling and
eager, and Miss Rosalie smiled back. She had grown fond of her little
pupil from Boston, and thought to herself that Sylvia was really
becoming almost like a little southern girl in her graceful ways and
pleasant smile.
"What is your question, Sylvia?" she asked.
"If you please, Miss Rosalie, what does 'abolitionist' mean?"
Some of the older girls exchanged startled looks, and May Bailey barely
restrained a laugh. Probably Grace and Sylvia were the only girls in
school who had not heard the word used as a term of reproach against
the people of the northern states who wished to do away with slavery.
Miss Rosalie's smile faded, but she responded without a moment's
hesitation:
"Why, an 'abolitionist' is a person who wishes to destroy some law or
custom."
There was a little murmur among the other pupils, but Grace and Sylvia
looked at each other with puzzled eyes. Philip did not wish to
"destroy" anything, thought Sylvia; he only wanted to protect Dinkie.
And she was sure that her father would not destroy anything, unless it
was something which would harm people. So it was a puzzled Sylvia who
came home from school that day. She decided that her father could
answer a question much better than Miss Rosalie, and resolved to ask
him the meaning of the word.
"Come up-stairs, Estralla," she said, finding the little negro girl at
the gate as usual waiting for her. "I have some things my mother said I
could give you."
Estralla followed happily. She didn't care very much what it might be
that Missy Sylvia would give her, it was delight enough for Estralla to
follow after her. But when the little girl saw the things spread out on
Sylvia's bed she exclaimed aloud:
"Does you mean, Missy, dat I'se to pick out somethin'? Well, then I
chooses the shoes. I never had no shoes."
"They are all for you," said Sylvia, lifting up a pretty blue cape and
holding it toward Estralla.
"My lan'!" whispered Estralla.
There was a dress of blue delaine with tiny white dots, two pretty
white aprons, the blue cape, and shoes and stockings, beside some of
Sylvia's part-worn underwear. She had begged her mother to let her give
the little darky these things, and Mrs. Fulton had been glad that her
little daughter wished to do so.
"Estralla has never had ANYTHING," Sylvia had urged, "and she is always
afraid of something. Of being whipped or sold. And I would like to see
her have clothes like other girls."
Estralla wanted to try on the shoes at once, and when she found that
they fitted very comfortably, she chuckled and laughed with delight.
Neither of the girls heard a rap at the door, and both were surprised
when Aunt Connie, who had opened the door and stood waiting, exclaimed:
"Fo' lan's sake! Wat you lettin' that darky dress up in you' clo'es
fer, Missy Sylvia?"
"They are her own clothes now, Aunt Connie," Sylvia explained. "My
mother said I might give them to her."
For a moment the negro woman stood silent. Then she put her hands up to
her face and began to cry, very quietly. Estralla's laughter vanished.
She wondered if her mammy was going to tell her that she could not keep
the things.
"'Scusie, Missy," muttered Aunt Connie; "you'se an angel to my po'
little gal. An' I'se 'bliged to you. But I'se feared the chile won't
wear 'em long. Massa Robert Waite's man sez he's gwine sell her off
right soon."
"He cyan't do no sech thing. Missy Sylvia won't let him," declared
Estralla, who was perfectly sure that "Missy Sylvia" could do whatever
she wished. With a pair of shoes on her feet and the blue cape over her
shoulders Estralla had more courage. Sylvia's kindness had given the
little colored girl a hope of happier days.
"Aunt Connie, I'll do all I can for Estralla," said Sylvia.
"Will you, Missy? Then ask yo' pa not to let Estralla be sold," pleaded
Aunt Connie.
Sylvia promised, and Aunt Connie went off smilingly. But Sylvia
wondered if her father could prevent Mr. Robert Waite from selling the
negro girl. "Estralla," she said very soberly, "I have promised that
you shall not be sold, and I will ask my father. But if he cannot do
anything, we will have to do something ourselves. Will you do whatever
I tell you?"
"Oh, yas indeed, Missy," Estralla answered eagerly.
"Well, I'll ask Father to-night. And to-morrow morning you bring up my
hot water, and I'll tell you what he says. But don't be frightened,
anyway," said Sylvia.
"I ain't skeered like I used to be," responded Estralla. "Yo' see,
Missy, I feels jes' as if you was my true fr'en'."
"I'll try to be," Sylvia promised.
Estralla went off happy with her new possessions, and Sylvia turned to
the window, and looked off across the beautiful harbor toward the
forts. She had heard her father say, that very noon, that South
Carolina would fight to keep its slaves, and she wondered if the
soldiers in Fort Moultrie would not fight to set the black people free.
She remembered that her father had said that Fort Sumter was the
property of the United States; and, for some reason which she could not
explain even to herself, she was sure that Estralla would be safe
there. If Mr. Robert Waite really meant to sell her, Sylvia again
resolved to find some way to get the little slave girl to Fort Sumter.
When Estralla brought the hot water the next morning she found a very
sober little mistress. For Sylvia's father had not only explained the
meaning of the word "abolitionist" as being the name the southerners
had given to the men who were determined that slavery of other men,
whatever their color, should end, but he had told his little daughter
that he could do nothing to prevent the sale of the little colored
girl, and that not even at Fort Sumter would she be safe. Sylvia had
not gone to sleep very early. She lay awake thinking of Estralla.
"Suppose somebody could sell me away from my mother," she thought,
ready to cry even at such a possibility. Sylvia knew that Aunt Connie
had been whipped because she had rebelled against parting with her
older children, and there was no Philip to take Aunt Connie's part.
"Mornin', Missy," said Estralla, coming into the room, and setting down
the pitcher of hot water very carefully. She had on the pink gingham
with one of the white aprons, and as she stood smiling and neat at the
foot of Sylvia's bed, she looked very different from the clumsy little
darky who had tumbled into the room a few weeks ago. Sylvia smiled
back. "Estralla, I want you to be sure to come up-stairs to-night after
the house is all quiet. Don't tell your mother, or anybody," she said
very soberly.
"All right, Missy," agreed Estralla, sure that whatever Missy Sylvia
asked was right.
Sylvia said nothing more, but dressed and went down to breakfast. She
heard her father say that he feared that South Carolina would secede
from the United States, and she repeated the word aloud: "'Secede'?
What does that mean?" She began to think the world was full of
difficult words.
"In this case it means that the State of South Carolina wishes to give
up her rights as one of the States of the Union," Mr. Fulton explained,
"but we hope she will give up slavery instead," he concluded.
Grace was at the gate as Sylvia came out ready for school, and called
out a gay greeting.
"What are you so sober about, Sylvia?" she asked as they walked on
together.